Netherlands on a Japanese Licence — The Side Switch & a Wall of Cyclists

The biggest change for a Japanese driver in the Netherlands is the most fundamental one: Japan drives on the left, the Netherlands on the right. Everything reflexive — which way you glance at a junction, which direction a roundabout turns, which side you drift to when you’re tired — runs backwards for the first day. Take your opening hour on quiet roads outside the city, keep deliberate at every turn, and let the new orientation settle before you take on Amsterdam or Rotterdam traffic.

The second adjustment is the one that defines Dutch roads: cyclists, in volumes that dwarf even Japan’s. Bikes have dedicated lanes, their own signals, and frequently priority over cars at junctions and turns. The recurring visitor error is turning right across a cycle lane without checking — so make scanning for bikes the first move at every junction, cars second. Combined with the side switch, this is where your attention needs to go in week one.

The legal numbers are gentle by comparison. The alcohol limit is 0.05 BAC, looser than Japan’s strict 0.03, but Dutch enforcement runs heavily on cameras and the safe answer is still nothing before driving. Speed limits are 50 in town, 80 rural and 100 on the motorway — close to Japanese expressway speeds. Where the Dutch are firm is enforcement: fixed and mobile cameras blanket the major roads, and a minor speeding fine runs EUR 39-66 depending on the road. Our Speeding Fine Calculator shows the likely cost.

On paperwork, your Japanese licence covers stays up to 185 days, and an International Driving Permit is recommended — carry it with the licence for rental desks and police, and arrange it before you leave Japan. Check your exact requirement with our Driving Permit Checker, and the full rules are on the Netherlands driving guide. The emergency number is 112, and fuel runs around $2.15/litre.